AmsterDAMN

First night in Amsterdam, and let me say, this place is already pretty great.

Bicycle lanes, little lakes (would you call them ponds? pools? canals? puddles?), old wind mills and bikes everywhere!

At first I wasn't sure renting a single room an hour outside the city was a good idea, but it couldn't be more perfect. I get my own room for half the price of a room I would have shared with 12 other people in the city center. The train ride is exciting and beautiful. And the town is SO quaint.

It's a cute little house, whose owner I have not yet officially met. But I have met my flat mate, for lack of a better term, and he's so awesome! Italian man, who's lived in California the last few years, so I can speak and practice my italian but ALSO be understood if I can't find the words in Italian.

He taught me all kinds of things! Italian words I'd heard but never been able to use: dovunque (wherever/everywhere), and entrambi (both). He taught me about banks, and bit coin, and something that was called "block chain" I think? We talked about AI and second life. Very interesting, though daunting to think about, personally.

He told me his theory on the olive tree being the most sacred. The God tree. Because olive trees can produce fruit for hundreds of years. Something not common, apparently. Also, he taught me green and black olives grow on the same tree. In fact they are the same thing… apparently?

I'm still on the fence with that. Even though he showed me proof, technically.

I'm exhausted. It's stupid late, but I'm not sure exactly what time it is because I know both my cellphone and laptop are wrong. They don't even match. So I'm floating in time and space, between 3 potential times and the gap between tomorrow and yesterday. I don't even know what day it is.

Tomorrow's Kingsday though. And I'm soooooo exciteddddd.

Yay Amsterdam. Yay celebrations. Yay drug leniency.

All my love

G

Actual pictures next post